Miss Lava – Red Supergiant (Out Now!)

Although Miss Lava have been rocking stages across Europe for the last five years chances are you won’t have heard of them. Previously a well kept secret with a loyal and growing fan-base in their native Portugal, the band were little known outside of their home country. That could all change with the release of Red Supergiant, the band’s second album, and their first to get a global release thanks to Detroit’s Small Stone Records. It’s a fitting home for the band, taking their place on a roster made up of some of the world’s top trad and stoner rock bands.

Detractors may say that the band’s brand of riff heavy metal borders on the generic and blokey but that somehow misses the point. While the band don’t try to reinvent the wheel, their full-on assault of fast and furious sludge rock will no doubt appeal to the stoner rock faithful. Bass-heavy riffs are the order of the day, with speed-freak drums and lyrics of outsider alienation, anger and dissatisfaction. Not for the faint of heart, this is music to get sweaty to, a soundtrack for stage-diving and getting messed up on a substance of your own choosing.

Prior to signing with Small Stone the quartet had ventured outside of their home country with two UK tours as well as a trip to the States. Who know, with a label behind them hopefully such forays will become easier and like lava news will spread.